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Tampa, Florida.- The Sun Sentinel journal report that CheapAir is the first online booking agency to offer direct U.S. flights to Cuba.
Doreen Hemlock, the contact reporter of Sun Sentinel wrote that in another step toward easing travel to Cuba, CheapAir last Wednesday became the first online booking agency to offer direct U.S.-Cuba flights from some U.S. cities. CheapAir now lets authorized U.S. travelers book flights to the island from Miami, Tampa and New York on direct flights from one charter operator.
Flights from other charter operators to Cuba who serve Fort Lauderdale and other U.S. cities may be offered later, said CheapAir CEO Jeff Klee.
But the company sells just a handful of U.S. tickets to Cuba daily once Americans realize they must fit within 12 authorized categories to visit, including educational, religious and humanitarian, Klee said. U.S. travelers must check a box to certify that they fit the categories. Leisure tourism remains banned, Sun Sentinel added.
The U.S. and Cuba are starting talks to renew two-way commercial air service, and U.S. airlines including American, Delta and JetBlue have expressed interest. But those negotiations could take a year or more, analysts say, leaving charters the only direct option for U.S. travelers now.
CheapAir said it now offers online bookings on charters from Miami, Tampa and New York to six Cuban destinations: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, Camaguey, Cienfuegos and Holguin.
More than 400,000 U.S. residents travel to Cuba yearly, mostly Cuban-Americans visiting family.
Charter operators are adding flights to meet rising demand for direct flights. Service from Orlando is slated to begin this summer through charter operator Island Travel & Tours.
Article selected from website: "Travel Trade Caribbean".
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